Global solar PV capacity reached around 2,974 GW by end-2025, with nearly 698 GW added in 2025. The sector, however, is shifting from rapid deployment to integration challenges, as high penetration rates drive curtailment, storage demand, grid constraints, and evolving policy and market designs.

Low-cost solar PV enables to turn CO2 from an unwanted burden into a precious raw material and sequestered in materials with many applications. This effectively reframes carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration as a monetizable carbon dioxide removal option. Three recent studies on electricity-based carbon fiber, silicon carbide, and graphene aimed at enabling large-scale negative emissions by 2050.

Rooftop solar in Australia provides the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable domestic energy in history.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that April 2026 marked a reversal from March’s widespread high irradiance across North America, as weakening Atlantic and Pacific high-pressure systems brought more cloud cover to the western U.S. and neutralized Mexico’s earlier sunshine gains, while the eastern U.S. remained sunnier and warmer than average. Meanwhile, Canada stayed under persistent cold, cloudy conditions linked to polar vortex disruptions, and coastal Texas saw significantly reduced irradiance due to tropical moisture and heavy rainfall.

Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu Network) analyzes how psychological safety, inclusive leadership, and bias awareness influence decision-making, innovation, and energy security after hosting a workshop during the SolarPower Summit this week. Through interactive discussions and real-life scenarios, participants reflected on the growing importance of human judgment, trust, and collaboration in an AI-driven industry, highlighting that resilient energy systems are ultimately built not only through technology, but also through people and leadership.

The city of Bruges is offering small- to medium-sized enterprises and organizations looking to install large-scale rooftop solar free advice from an independent solar broker. The solar broker will be available to support the entire installation process, from initial calculations through to final commissioning.

Genex has announced plans to reconfigure the first stage of its 2.5 GW Bulli Creek multi-stage development in Australia from a 775 MW solar farm to 300 MW, adding a 425 MW / 1,700 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

The massive renewable energy complex will include 8 GW of solar, 4 GW of wind, 2.04 GW/8.16 GWh of energy storage, and 2.64 GW of coal-fired power. The project is planned to be located in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and deliver clean electricity to the energy-intensive Jiangsu province.

Ratul Puri, chairman of Hindustan Power, tells pv magazine that India’s battery energy storage system (BESS) market is moving from aggressive tendering toward large-scale project execution, as the country increasingly prioritizes grid integration, transmission readiness and long-term supply resilience.

A Cornell University research team developed a control framework that simultaneously considers past and future conditions when determining solar panel tilt angle. The researchers told pv magazine it is designed to be plug-and-play, allowing for software developers and solar operators to incorporate their optimization algorithms directly into the framework.

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC) has arranged a JPY 9 billion ($57 million) syndicated loan for Q.ENEST Holdings, the power business spun out of Hanwha Japan in 2023, to finance an 80 MW portfolio of distributed low-voltage solar assets across Japan.

Germany led the way with the UK and Bulgaria tied in second place, followed by Spain, Hungary, and France.

Chinese researchers have found that massive photovoltaic deployment in the Taklamakan Desert could alter regional climate dynamics and worsen water stress in the already arid Tarim Basin, despite the area’s vast solar potential.

Amazon has conducted a six-month field trial of a rooftop heat pump system developed by U.S. startup Transaera at one of its logistics facilities. The system uses metal–organic framework (MOF)–based dehumidification to remove moisture from outdoor air before cooling.

Latest analysis from Pexapark finds strong solar output and weaker demand caused a drop in solar capture factors in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain. These countries are also experiencing an increase in the share of solar production under negative price hours.

Gravity storage gets a boost from South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom.

The Chinese manufacturer has unveiled its new Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro in Berlin. The system features 5 kW of photovoltaic input capacity and 5 kWh of storage capacity.

U.S. researchers have developed an IR-CW laser-based method to remove backsheets from end-of-life silicon solar modules without damaging the glass or wafers, using controlled heating of the silicon–EVA interface through the front glass. The process enables clean mechanical delamination with preserved device performance and offers a lower-energy, lower-cost alternative to conventional thermal or chemical recycling methods.

The aircraft, acquired by Skydweller Aero in 2019 and converted into an autonomous long-endurance platform, crashed after a loss of power. It was equipped with approximately 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings.

The OFW Solar Project in Virginia submitted an application to connect to powerlines run by the wrong power company, instead of a second set of nearby transmission lines, necessitating a total restart of the PJM interconnection process that could push construction back to 2032.

The Chinese manufacturer said its novel TOPCon cell design enables partial replacement of silver with aluminum paste while maintaining TOPCon-level efficiency of over 27% and compatibility with existing production lines.

Scientists in Morocco have conceived an experimental–numerical model to quantify how fly ash soiling affects photovoltaic (PV) modules, capturing both optical losses and thermal effects. Their findings show that while dust layers can reduce panel temperature, fly ash significantly degrades efficiency in a non-linear way, highlighting the need for predictive models for real-world solar performance.

Chinese researchers developed an all-perovskite tandem solar cell using a non-contact laser polishing strategy that reduces surface defects and improves charge extraction in lead-tin perovskite films. The device achieved up to 29.80% tandem efficiency, with the bottom cell improving from 19.64% to 24.07% and showing strong operational stability under continuous illumination.

The Indian coal company has dissolved its solar manufacturing subsidiary, CIL Solar PV Ltd, formally ending its planned entry into integrated solar PV manufacturing.

Severe shortages of power transformers are stalling grid expansion as developers face skyrocketing prices and four year wait times for critical equipment.

Strategic agreement will see California-based renewables developer ramp up sodium-ion battery deployment. Deal follows Alsym Energy entering 8.5 GWh partnership with iron flow battery business ESS.

The automotive giant has formally unveiled Ford Energy, its new battery energy storage subsidiary, alongside initial details of its flagship grid-scale energy storage product.

SoftBank’s mobile arm is gearing up to scale the intriguing zinc-halogen battery cell chemistry to 1 GWh annual production.

Zendure has launched PowerHub, a new energy management system for homes and small commercial sites that integrates solar PV, battery storage, grid power, EV charging, heat pumps, and smart home devices into one platform. The system supports up to 150 kWh storage capacity and up to 43 kW three-phase PV input, while the 3-phase version enables EV charging at up to 22 kW.

The Italian manufacturer has expanded its propane monobloc heat pump range with new models delivering up to 85 C flow temperature and achieving a seasonal coefficient of performance of 4.95.